Acne.org Products
My only negative accutane experience occured three months after I stopped taking it: WHEN MY ACNE CAME BACK ON MY FACE/NECK/SCALP FULL FORCE. It's almost worse psychological torture having bad skin after feeling sure I had been "cured" than if I had just had bad acne all along.
It's definitely not the cure-all it is touted to be. I'm a 30 yr old female who's been on nearly every antibiotic offered for acne (except for an IV of penicillin! ha ha ha!). My acne was popping up all over my back when the doctor finally put me on accutane. The back acne cleared up and hasn't come back (knock on wood), but the facial acne is as horrible as ever... And I was OCD about taking it at the correct dosage, at the correct time, etc.
This thread is here for people who had a NEGATIVE experience with Accutane. If you are sorry you ever took this drug, this thread is for you.
Please make just one post describing your experience, and edit/update that post as needed ... this will make it much easier for readers to follow each person's story.
It would be helpful, of course, to know the length of your course(s), your dosage(s), and when you started or finished. Please do not post until AFTER you have finished your course.
Please do not post links to other sites. This thread is here for personal stories of Acne.org members only. It has been pinned so that it will not be lost in the shuffle.
Neither this thread nor the "positive experience" thread should be regarded as definitive proof of anything, pro or con, about Accutane. This is by no means a scientific sampling and we are not checking up on anyone who posts here. It is simply a place where people can tell their stories and keep them up to date in a simple format that is uncluttered and easy to follow.
Something to keep in mind when reading this thread: quite a few people do get directed to Acne.org from anti-Accutane Web sites for the specific purpose of posting their negative experiences on this board. It's usually pretty obvious who these posters are (lengthy posts, one-time posters, etc.). However, this is a very open forum, and so long as these people stay within our rules and guidelines, we welcome them.
Arguments, flaming, and off-topic posts will be invis'd.
It is very interesting to hear about your negative Accutane experiences- some through a lack of it and some perhaps due to it, although we can never know this for certain.. One of you mentioned that you experienced IB while taking it....I don't know whether you know that Accutane has in particular been linked to side effects of a gastrointestinal nature...These for example include ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. So, if you have experienced any untoward gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowels, acute abdominal pain, or rectal bleeding, you would be advised to re-evaluate your use of this medication. Accutane has affected some so severely that they have chosen to pursue legal action against the makers of the drug. Actor John Marshall in 'A Few Good Men' actually filed a lawsuit against Roche, claiming that his Accutane IBD actually put an end to his career. Actors Charlie and Martin Sheen also testified in his hearing....you can read about it in this article: Law firms are encouraging any accutane users with these symptoms to come forward, as they apparently can become part of the class action lawsuit to do with accutane. It's reported that over 400 Accutane cases have been filed in the recent months, as this article shows: I just wanted to raise awareness of the issue to really get across the seriousness of the issue.
I would only advise taking this drug is your acne is ALREADY scarring badly. Because Accutane DOES cause scars. Fact.
I suffered with acne from the age 12-26, starting mild/ moderate, turning to cystic when I hit 20. I tried everything under the sun but would still get painful cysts.
In July 2009 my derm put me on Accutane. I weigh 50kg and was on 25mg per day for the first month, then 50mg per day for 4 months.
I experienced the worst acne of my life, I barely left the house for months because it was so bad. I didn't have one scar before taking this drug, during it, and after, my face scarred deeply from every spot or cyst I had. My skin is still weak and the texture is terrible even now.
Accutane cleared me of my acne, I've been clear 10 months now, but I would turn back the clock if I could, I'd rather have acne than pitted scars. If I'd already scarred prior tane then I wouldn't be so upset, because at least the acne would be over with. But I prefer the painful cysts to the emotional pain of seeing these scars every day.
Please be careful. My derm in England was RUBBISH and my new derm said she would never have let me scar....also heartbreaking to hear. I was basically put on Tane by my old derm and left to get on with it.
My cholestoral is now high. I just had blood tests done. I only had one blood test before taking accutane, and my derm never sent me for any during or after my course.
And I'm one of the lucky ones. This drug should not be given out as freely as it is. It should be reserved only for acne that already scars. Doctors tell you Tane doeesnt cause scars, rubbish, just look anywhere on this forum and you will see the evidence.
Just a friendly reminder: Before posting, please read the guidelines for posting in this thread.
The truth about isotretinoin is that it can cause premature aging and premature death many years after usage of the drug has been discontinued (see disclaimer).
Undisputed Known Facts:
-Isotretinoin (13-cis retinoic acid) was originally developed as a chemotherapeutic drug in the 1970s to treat lymphoma.
-Its side effects were completely rational considering it was used to treat cancer.
-13-cis retinoic acid is naturally metabolized to ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) in the body.
-All-trans retinoic acid is a confirmed telomerase inhibitor (via hTERT substrate inhibition).
-Telomerase is the enzyme that allows our cells to keep dividing without gradually destroying our DNA in the process. Without its function, people age and die, starting with the cells that most crucially depend on it (rapidly dividing cells, such as epithelial cells and cells lining the gut, and sebacious glands in teenagers).
-ATRA has also been shown to downregulate telomerase, but direct administration of ATRA is more toxic.
-Permanent side effects have been reported, many (of which have been acknowledged legally by the original drug manufacturers) have presented only years after the treatment was stopped, when there were no such side effects while on the treatment.
-There are no other known modes of action by which retinoids (or more spectifically isotretinoin) has been shown to be a chemotherapuetic against cancer besides the pathway it uses to downregulate telomerase.
-No alteration was made to the isotretinoin compound when it was marketed as an acne drug.
-Minimal information is given about the mechanism of action of isotretinoin. A few sentences make the claim that it reduces the proliferation of sebacious glands, but no pathway-specific information is published.
-No studies have been conducted about isotretinoin's effect on life span.
-The FDA does not require testing of drugs' effects on life span.
-Drug companies make millions off of this drug, and they do what they are required by listing the known side effects.
-Others have made and support this discovery that isotretinoin could downregulate telomerase, and it is presently (as of right now) listed on the isotretinoin wikipedia page.
Facts you will likely agree with:
-The effects of telomerase downregulation may take years to surface, as the natural aging process typically abated by the presence of telomerase to regenerate stem cells is decreased.
-Most people who didn't have major side effects with isotretinoin (or even those who did) after stopping the medicine will not associate non-skin related problems a few years later to their use of their anti-acne pills. And even if they do and they seek medical help, it will still likely not be reported to the FDA, since they cannot be certain and since they wouldn't bother reporting it. There is no way a doctor could know for sure that something is due to isotretinoin use, especially since most docotors are ignorant as to the full extent of the drug and don't know too much about telomerase, as it pertains to a recent field of study.
-99.999% of medical professionals will have not made this simple connection between 13-cis-retinoic acid and telomerase, because they haven't done the research, trust what drug companies tell them, and don't think they could unearth any scarier information on the drug.
Logical conclusions from the undisputed known facts:
-It is likely that isotretinoin will downregulate your telomerase enzyme, causing more of your cells to stop proliferating and die at a younger age, causing pre-mature aging. If the effects of the drug on telomerease are permanent, the premature aging can be permanent, and premature death might occur (from the cells of your vital organs dying too young, or from a plethora of other problems arising from cell death).
**Disclaimer: While I believe everything I have written above is true, I am not a medical expert. It is possible that everything I have written is wrong and that even my "undisputed known facts" and "logical conclusions form the undisputed known facts" are incorrect. In particular, my first statement could be absolutely wrong. You should consult your doctor about any medical concerns.
Accutane was a negative experience for me even though I never took the drug. I really, really wanted to, but then my friend committed suicide (he had taken accutane for 1 month). Since then I did some research and found out some very very frightening things about the unpublished mechanism of action of the drug. Check out the wikipedia page on isotretinoin- you'll see that isotretinoin might downregulate telomerase, which can shorten your lifespan and cause premature death. Please click on my username and go to my other post about isotretinoin (I tried to repost it here but it got deleted). Looking at what I wrote might save you years on your life.
took cumulative 180 mg/kg (40 40 80 80 80) at age of 22, did not have any major side effects while on it. within months of finishing the course my joints started to crack, my heart rhytm became abnormal and ...what is really killing me now are my joints. i went 22 to 90 in matter of months and is getting worse, affecting every single joint in my body...
and for those saying "well you should have watch out for side effects" , my joints problems kicked in after i went off accutane. i am guessing if you have very healthy joints with thick cartilage and no previous injuries, it takes a while longer before its effects on joints become apparent and hence once you notice it, it is already too late
Sounds so much like me...
Went on a 8 month course similar to yours (ending the last several months on 80 a day) when I was 13, far too young to be messing with these type of medications I know now. I responded very well to treatment in that it cleared all of my face, chest and back acne and I had no side effects while I was on it aside from chapped lips, so I was more than happy to go on an extended course... what a mistake! I was a perfectly healthy kid, coming from a family with little to no health issues. I was a athletic stud all through highschool, playing Mens league rugby at 16, and handling grownups with little effort. Went on to receive many accolades in wrestling and rugby, and was easily the strongest kid in my highschool weight room. My first year out of highschool (4 years after treatment) is when arthritis attacked my spine and I started seeing signs of IBS. For years I had no idea why and flushed money away at the chiropractor, it wasn't until just recently that I put two and two together after doing some accutane research into hairloss. Now, I'm 22 and my arthritis has spread to my knees and wrists. My IBS is now more than just rush stops to the bathroom after a cup of coffee. I now wake up or be kept awake by horrible pains in my stomach, and quite consistent diarrhea. I feel like a 60 year old most mornings and the days of springing out of bed and being easily able to tackle any daily challenges with a smile are just a memory.
On top of the "big two" side effects that I've acquired over the recent years, I also have a general lethargic nature towards everything, no interest to play sports, partake in other hobbies or compete anymore. I struggle to make it to the gym when before it was my favourite two hours of the day. I have constant headaches, concentration issues, blurred vision and light sensitivity, often feeling faint for no reason. I've also lost some hair at my temples and sideburns (no one with male pattern baldness loses it there), and have a general thinning all over, probably lose 200 hairs a day. I find it painful to finish even the most simplest household chores, some days there's nothing worse than bending down 2 feet and putting dishes in the dishwasher. I struggle at work, physically and mentally. I think this goes without saying this is not how a 22 year old man should feel. In every aspect of my life I'm a healthy kid... my one vice is I like to binge drink once a week. I eat organic foods by habit, workout religiously and come from a family of nothing but studs and studettes. Mom was a successful body builder and personal trainer in her day, uncle is a CFL Hall O' Famer, and I'm pretty sure my dad has killed at least a few people with his bare hands (awesome road rager). Another thing that I've considered must stem from my run in with the big bad Accutane is the fact I haven't grown an inch since treatment. That's right, my growth was halted at a lowly 5'6" and some change. That certainly doesn't mean I'm not the stockiest, most powerfully built midget around, cause I am, but it's a little belittling when I'm the only one that still sits at the kiddy table at family gatherings. My dad was the shortest adult male of all my close relatives before I "matured", and he was 5'10. Even my female cousins, aunts, mom and 80 year old grandmother look down upon me. Now that I think of it, the only relative that I'm taller than is turning 5 this month... I should probably gift wrap her a prescription of Ritalin so it stays that way.
Anyhow, all said and done, I still get mild acne on my face, but its quite controllable provided I'm not stressed out of my tree, and being that I'm mostly only stressed when dealing with issues created by an anti acne drug, it's kind of ironic in a real shit way. That's my story!
I went through Accutane program twice, once at 17, once at 20ish. Program built up the dose from every other day to three times a day through the six months - I don't remember the dose, but I was 5'3", 110 lbs. Each time, was clear for a year then back to breakout mess. Only obvious symptom then was chapped lips.
In my 30s, I did 40mg every other day and worked it down to average one 40mg pill every three weeks. It totally worked, but once I wanted to consider children and wondering what long-term risks were, I stopped.
I now have chronically chapped lips, more than 5 years later, and the right side of my lower lip cracks and bleeds regularly. The area never heals. I've had intestinal distress symptoms since my 30s - bad digestion...the feeling that a spiked ball is moving through my system. But not yet diagnosed with IBS, Crohn's, etc. I seem to be developing fibromyalgia and have chronic fatigue and post-nasal drip since my 30s. And my acne is as bad as ever at 42.
After reading these posts, I'm wondering if Accutane is the reason for these symptoms and the fact that my herniated cervical disk is not healing after 8 months.
I was crushed to learn that I was in the 10% that Accutane claimed it wouldn't work for, but is sure sounds like that 10% is much larger.
Just a friendly reminder: Before posting, please read the guidelines for posting in this thread.
Again. A reminder.
Wow, some of the experiences are quite traumatic, my story is going to be weak but here it is.
Throughout middle school I had what I'd call the high level of moderate acne, just short of severe, but pretty high level on moderate, but my acne cleared by the time I was 17 and I never thought twice about it.
Then suddenly, my hormones went completely out of wack @ age twenty, I know what experience caused it, but I won't go into the details because of the under-aged audience here, most will know what I'm referring to: kind of things that boys and girls irresponsibly engage in.
After that, my acne became moderately severe again, and then in subsequent spring in 2005, it became severe. Slowly, my confidence began to deteriorate and all I could think about is my face, by winter of 2005, my face was COMPLETELY covered with large cystic acne, and they often just chilled on my face for a week at at time. When you have about 14 of these on your cheeks along with 5-8 on your forehead, you do not want to live.
In search of somehow getting out of the acne hell, I found this forum, and found out about accutane. I can't say that I was uninformed of the side-effects, the posters here definitely let you know, I tried to stay away from accutane in every possible way and tried every topic cream known to man, and these b-6 supplements I wish i never took but anyway...
So at my derm's behest I start tane.
Acne gone after two months.
So I quit tane after two months.
However, those 2 months were sheer hell, I was always a dry person and it has caused me health problems before, such as dry eyes and developing kidney stones @ age 13 but the dry eyes were to a point where I could no longer keep my eyes open because they hurt.
(then I realized I was chronically de-hydrated, and began to drink 3L of water a day, which fixed the dry eye problem...)
other than dry eyes, I also suffered Severe reddening of the face, and weak skin, and slow wound healing, and some hair loss but nothing severe, I probably lose like 30 hairs a day or something, but I haven't noticed any significant loss past 5 years.
Now I'm going to begin typing up the stuff that I really wanted to say after reading the positive posts about Tane
While on tane, I had the aforementioned dry eyes, weak skin, red face, along with some vision loss (and some night-vision), some hair loss.
That's when taking only TWO MONTHS of tane. (60 mg)
Now, the fun part of it all is, just because you're fine NOW, or even fine when you're TAKING the drug, there's no telling what the drug will do to you 5 years, 10 years, 15 years down the road. That's why I'd advise anyone to NOT take the drug.
My aforementioned side-effects have relatively all gone away or gone very minimal, yes, but I have different side-effects now. For example, I do have slight back pain and joint pain when I never had them WHILE ON TANE. My eyes are still pretty dry, I'm still losing some hair, my vision has stayed at the level after quitting tane, my night-vision is bad, I have a VERY dry face that crackles after shower. I also RECENTLY, in JAN 2011, developed very seriously dry hands that require a lot of care now. No I never had any dry hands before 2011, not even while I was on tane. Who knows what this drug will do to me in 2016????
Yes, Accutane restored my life, and I now look better than ever. I know some of you are thinking this is magical, but acne is most likely to go away from 99% of us without us doing anything anyway. Why risk your overall health with accutane just to speed up what you'll eventually get?
While I don't suffer from any "serious" side-effects right now, I'm always in constant fear of "what will happen to me in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years"
To put it into analogy, I feel Accutane is like trying to get a driver's license @ 16. You want it as fast as possible, but there's simply no reason to get it so early because the dangers surpass the benefits, and yet, kids want to hurry it and some of their lives get ruined by their decision.
Unless your acne is SO SEVERE, like.....type in SEVERE ACNE on google and then click on the images tab. If you look like them, yeah, take accutane.
If not, don't.
99.9% of you guys on these boards don't look like that I'm sure.
------------------------------FOLLOW UP POST TWO YEARS AFTER PRIOR POST / SEVEN YEARS AFTER COMPLETING TANE-------------------------
While the strange episode of terribly dry hands is gone, oil production skyrocketed in 2011 and my bouts with acne began again.
In 2011, moderate acne began to come back, soon my face was filled with little pimples. However, still there were no cysts and I still continued having a social life and just thinking I had "bad" skin rather than "nightmarish 2005-6 skin" so I should be thankful.
In 2012, things began to get worse. Although the cystic attack (i mean an attack of about 5-15 at a given day on your face) never occurred, cysts began to make their way back to my jawline and my sides. (Thank god none on the cheeks). I've now had about TWO CYSTS on my face at any given time. Probably about 8 cysts a month or so.
This time around, I'm going to try the regimen. I gave it a go in 2006 for a brief time and it worked like a charm except it made my face tomato red. That was partly due to my not using a moisturizer because I hated moisturizers, it was also partly because my skin was so terribly weak after accutane.
So, I suppose, here it is. ACNE STILL COMES BACK EVEN AFTER CLEARING. WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS, THIS DRUG IS NOT WORTH IT.
I am 23 years old, writing to you 1 year after finishing my 6 Mo. regiment of Acutane. I had severe and scarring acne that didn't start until I was in college and seemingly exhausted all my options. I was sick of doing everything and seeing no results. I changed my diet, showered more often, spent an exorbitant amount of money on face washes, soaps, prescription pills, topical applications, (pro-active, Acne-free, clearacil)all without seeing results, and in some cases making it worse. Pro-active worked for a while and then I got acne worse than I ever had before. My issue was my body created too much oil and my pores constantly got clogged.
This all lead to my dermo suggesting Accutane. During the 6 mo. taking Isotrinitin, better known as Accutane, I experienced very dry skin, some nosebleeds, very dry eyes, and couldn't drink alcohol for fear of organ failure.(a true risk) I was extremely sensitive to the sun and got very rosey cheecks all the time for no reason.
I am now Acne free save a small pimple here and there. However being acne free has come at a cost. I have had numerous cyst's that form on my nose, months after finishing taking accutane, that I never had before taking it. These cyst's made half my nose three times the size it should be, as is the one I have on my nose right now, and only a trip to the dermo will get rid of it.
I also have very dry skin now-permanently (everywhere including scalp and eyes) and spend almost as much money on anti-dandruff shampoo(which i never had before), face moisturizer, body lotion, chap stick, and creams than I did on acne remidies. I do have clear skin for the ost part but do still get rosey cheecks from time-to-time. I am glad I am acne free, but would recommend to anyone to really weigh their options and be ready for a tough 6 Mo.
My course was 5 months in duration and I was on Isotretinoin 30 mg twice a day for the first two months; Amnesteem 40mg twice a day for three months. I posted here because the negative experiences outweighed the positive, including its failure to completely treat my acne. My last pills were taken almost three weeks ago.
Dry lips:
I took it in the dead of winter, so this might have added to the dryness, but I had to apply lip balm almost every five minutes, especially if I had something to eat or drink, and exercised. Sometimes they would dry so badly that it would sting and burn.
Lack of energy:
Prior to taking Accutane, I was an avid runner and healthy eater---something that had taken over a year to get into---and after starting my treatment, I found it harder to exercise and keep focused. I had very little energy and had to resort to walking.
Appetite
There was a constant feeling of fullness. However, when I did get hungry, I ate the worst types of food as I had strange cravings.
Mood:
My mood was fine the first few weeks, although I think I initially felt a little "out of it." I have just stopped taking the pills about two weeks ago and I have noticed some significant mood changes. A few days I have felt completely anxious, overwhelmed and negative. I have felt a lack of concentration and willingness to participate with things I used to enjoy.
Bloating:
I had water retention in my inner thighs and around my waist. I'm not sure if this is due to the Accutane, but it started about a month into it.
Dry eyes, no oil production for hair and thinness of hair
Insomnia:
I have had some nights of restlessness and most recently I have started sleeping longer in the morning.
Biggest Negative Experience: it didn't clear my acne!
6 MONTH COARSE!
FEMALE/110 POUNDS 80MG DAILY
SIDE EFFECTS: VERY DRY SKIN
SUPER SENSITIVE TO THE SUN,HOT FLASHES LITERALLY FEELT LIKE I WAS BURING UP
NOSE BLEEDS
JOINT PAIN AND SEVERE HAIR LOSS!
AFTERALL I HAVE TO SAY ACCUTANE WORKS WONDER IN CURING UR ACNE BUT DAMAGES OTHER THINGS.
VARIES BY PEOPLE
hi,
im 17 and I started it when I was 16, I had severe acne and was told to go on this. I was not for it, I actually cried when the doctor told em about ti ebcause he said the cons to it. I was on it for 7 months, which is the normal trial, well 6 but because of my weight and my dosage I was behind. Im 118lbs, probably lighter when I started. I have been off it for several months now, it caused severe back pain, extremly dry lips, and skin, and when it starts your acne gets WORSE at first, and for me that was a problem because my skin scars just by a pimple being there and me not touching it. Suicide thoughts are DEFINITELY there when on accutane, I dont care what any doctor says, try EVERYTHING before you go on accutane! I am off it and now i feel like my body is just ...rundown from it. We all react differntly on it, this I know, but the redness, extra acne, more scarring, intense flushing when in the sunlight, and sever back pains were NOT worth it. When I was in school a couple of months ago(we have t.v's in our cafeteria) tehre was a commercial that said " have you been on accutane? well then you may be entitled to blablaba", that was when I realized it was teh wrong decision.
So I just wanted to post my history with Accutane. In June of 1999 I took accutane for about 6 months if I remember right it was 40mg twice a day. I might be mistaken. The reason for not remembering was I was just a kid. I was 14-15 years old at the time. At the peek of puberty. Personally I don't believe this drug should have ever been given to anyone under the age of 18 due to most of the time the decision was not made solely by the patient but by the parents of the patient with little to know real information. The only two side effects ever reported were Pyschosis or Deformities in pregnancies. Let me just say this....my 9th grade school pictures looked horrible I looked like a decaying zombie because of Accutane....luckily i have clear skin on my face now. Let me point out my life since accutane....I am only 26 mind you. Shortly after taking tane my parent noticed my mood and demeanor changing...they attributed it as being a "teenager". I started Gaining weight, gynocamstia. Even though I was active in school and sports....i had major pains in my legs and joints and began to not be able to exercise as well. Doctors that I saw within a year of taking Tane of course said it was because I was a little overweight. My weight kept balooning all through Highschool and I started noticing reduction in just day to day energy. My eyes started to deteriorate and I continued to have extremely dry skin and such throughout my teen years. I have suffered with strange bowel habits since then Cycling from Diarrhea to Constipation. I have bad gas problems and even GERD issues. I still have yet to get anything diagnosed because I just thought it was my body....and I had to deal with it. By the age of 18 only 3 years after taking the drug I had my first major Panic Attack and Depression. I have been on Zoloft/Celexa/Lexapro since then...getting off of it to find out i need to get back on it or I can't function without either being depressed and unmotivated or extremely panicky. I have horrible joint problems in my back, neck and shoulders, and deal with chest pain that puts me in the hosptial thinking I am having a heart attack....just to find out there is nothing wrong with me...and they say I am crazy. Finally after pleading saying I know those symptoms aren't fake along, with the GI and other symptoms like no Enegery, Can't lose weight despite working out 6 days a week and only eating 1300-1500 calories a day and weighing close to 450lbs. Having horrible hot flashes and problems getting an erection long enough and hard enough to have good sex. Strange symptoms like funny feelings in my throat. My doctor decided to test my Thyroid and Testosterone levels. Both came back either low or on the low side. My Vitamin D levels are ultra low also. I keep asking my PCP to send me to an Endocrinologist because of my tane use....but he is telling me that tane doesn't cause these effects. Here is what my testosterone is at 26 years old......128 that is the level of a male before puberty.......wtf!!! Tane effects more than we know and I will spend the rest of my life working on gettting Roche...buried for this along with all others that prescribe ISO and make it. Again I was given this drug at puberty....this should not be given to adolescents as they have to much development to happen. It has already been proven that Accutane causes hormonal imabalances...which is probably truly why the sebocytes are reduced. Also it is known to cause children to stop growing. Any of you that suffer for any hormonal imbalance symptoms should really see an Endocrinologist..they may be able to atleast help alleviate some of your symptoms.
Wow, I feel a camaraderie with the rest of the victims here whose lives have been devastated by this drug. I am 42 yrs old, and like many others, took it in the mid-eighties when I was a junior in high school (16 yrs old). Before I took it, I was a normal, healthy, easy-going and active adolescent boy. I have a caring, but overly-concerned mother who took myself, my brother and sister to the dermatologist because we had mild to moderate acne. Of note, my brother and sister have not suffered from the long-term side-effects that I have, for which I'm grateful.
Looking back, I believe that mine was just mild. We all took tetracycline first, which was not 100% effective; and then the derm said that accutane was the new miracle medicine that would permanently get rid of our acne. I thought that it was amazing at first, as it rid me of my acne. However, a few months after I STOPPED taking it I started to have dizzy spells/panic attacks several times a day(in school, nonetheless), problems with my vision(sensitivity to light and lots of floaters) and I slipped into a depression for which no one could figure out why. I had frequent suicidal ideations, however did not act out on them. All of this time, I just thought I was going nuts and that this was somehow my fault.
My mother sent me to a shrink who put me on Xanax, which made me into a vegetable. I went to one semester of college on a full scholarship but dropped out because I could not concentrate on my studies because I was so depressed. My parents wrote me off because they did not link my issues to Accutane, nor did I at the time. My father pretty much forced me to join the Army or move out(which was actually good for me, I retired after 20 years service).
However, I have continued to struggle with anger, depression and vision problems for the rest of my life, all because of this disgusting chemotherapy drug. It is not until recently, after receiving several accupuncture treatments and discussing accutane with my accupuncture specialist, that I have re-faced the root of many of my issues, and it is SO painful. Like the rest of you, I wish I could go back in time and just throw that first bottle in the trash - but I was just a good kid, thought it would fix my acne, and just did what I was told. My mother is a chronic depressive and hypochondriac, and in my home "pills" were the quick fix for everything; however, I cannot blame her for something which NEVER, EVER should have been on the market in the first place. I feel a common bond with the rest of you with similar issues. Please feel free to shoot me an email any time, if it is just to vent.
I have ULTA sensitive skin...anything new I try will make me breakout, so I only choose skincare products from companies that are known to be good for people with sensitive skin. Now, daily I used the Made from Earth Green Tea Cleanser - and I do not use a moisturizer afterwards!
This is important because if you have zits, moisturizers are not recommended. So, after using the Green Tea Cleanser - I do not need a moisturizer (since it doesnt strip my skin). Love love love it and I recommend it for people who have zits and very sensitive skin.
Hello
Above all do not want to scare or anything like that, but this is my story, and perhaps others will serve to decide whether or not to take the medicine.
My name is David I have 28 years, I'm from Madrid, and I also was taking Dercutane (Isotretinoin) for almost 9 months, a total of 10gram take that for my weight, 65Kilos is the maximum recommended dose can be given.
I had a mild nodular acne that is I got a few pimples but internal and took too long to leave, so the dermatologist decided to give me these miracle pills.
During the treatment, I had the typical side effects, like all people who take it, nothing alarming. But now, after almost a year after completing the treatment when I am suffering more: I have permament dry eyes, back and joint pains continued, headaches, generalized dryness throughout the body, nose bleeds, constipation, anxiety produced through all this trouble sleeping ..
My quality of life has been reduced by 70%, since I can not do almost anything he did before, I can not even bend over without pain in my back and knees.
My life has become a specialist come and go, orthopedic surgeons, ophthalmologists, rheumatologists, neurologists ... and none of them give me solution to my problems.
I created a website so that all who pass or have passed through what I promote it and to know what they can do this drug, which not even the laboratories that produce exactly know the mechanism of action is a poison, and certainly, at least I do, I devote my time and desire to spread my message.
This is the website that I created, in SPANISH
Greetings
David
i dont know whether it wrked more fr me or d damage accutane done was more, althogh d acne vanished, barring sm on cheeks, it was too tough to be on accutane for 60 days, n i was just given a 20mg dose daily. my lips bled almost everyday, d skin flaked, intensive moisturising twice a day wasnt enough. my appetite reduced to zero. n the continuous back aches. even sensitivity to sun increased manifold. i dont think i wud advice anyone to go fr oral isotretinoin:(
READ THIS BEFORE TAKING ACCUTANE
I took accutane for MODERATE acne. The derms hand it out like candy, be aware! Course went for 4.5 months, and only at a dose of mainly 40mg a day. Im now 8 months post accutane.
While yes, it MOSTLY cleared my skin, not all, but mostly.. i now have what could potentionally be life-long or atleast long term side effects. These are:
Facial flushing - While i do think the topical cream Differin i was told to use escalated this, accutane didnt do it any favours. embarrassing burning red face, can last for hours, triggered by such everyday things as emotions, stress, lifting weights at the gym, hot rooms, drinking alcohol .. thats right.. no more alcohol or enjoying yourself with a few drinks on a weekend. This can even happen sometimes for no reason at all. Nearly every day!
Dry lips - Yes, i still use lip balm everyday. Being a 22 year old guy its heaps of fun trying to hide it all the time. Its worse after i eat or drink something, i need lip balm straight away. If i dont use it my lips will burn, peel etc. Will this go away? Maybe, maybe not.
Sensitive, thin skin - I feel the heat, i feel the cold. If i get a cut on my face, the skin is easily broken and takes longer to heal. More prone to scarring.
Excema - This isnt full blown excema, but i have flaking red skin on the inner parts of my nose, on top of my eyelids and next to my ears. Its a constant battle to keep this moisturized. Right now i also have this weird red mark next to my mouth, maybe excema? I dont even know. All i know is im off to the derm, again 
$$$
These are just my personal side effects, 8 months on. Dont think if you take this, all your problems will be over, because theres a good chance you WILL suffer from something afterwards. Its statistics. Search around. Everyone deals with different things within their own body while taking - and after - accutane. You will be no different.
Like i said, on top of this, my acne is better, but not 100%.. i have 4 small pimples right now, and mainly unnoticeable but many clogged pores on my forehead. But had i known id be dealing with other bullshit after accutane, to be honest, id have lived with acne and let it go away on its own.
Just my 2 cents, if you're going to use accutane, READ stories, know that it CAN happen to you. Then weigh up your options. I thought if i took this drug, all my problems would go away, but thats just not how life is. Cheers for reading and good luck.